Paintings With Soul

      "Valentine IV," 4" square, acrylics on panel, gorgeously framed and wired, ready to hang.   This painting is being auctioned off RIGHT NOW via Facebook** with half the proceeds going to my favorite shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. (Actually, I'll tell you a secret - all I want to do is cover my framing costs, and then the rest is going to go to the shelter.)   Place your bids  here . But hurry, because bidding ends at 6pm EST tomorrow, January 16th, 2013.   Thanks for playing along.   And if you want to talk about commissioning something extra special -  email me  and we can talk.     **You DO NOT have to have a Facebook account to view the auction, but you do need to have one in order to place a bid.   I cleaned out my painting storage this morning and found the little treasure above. It seemed serendipitous to unearth a heart shaped...

"Tribute," from the "Tags, Toys & Treasures" series, 12" square, acrylic on canvasboard, still life depicting dog collar and tags, exquisitely framed, $749 to the first taker. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to my local shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. Inquiries may always come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I have a similar painting hanging here in my studio. It's a favorite because it reminds me of what I had, what I have, and what will come to me. The proverbial circle of life. Today's piece is a tribute to all who have crossed the bridge. I know the Dog-a-Day family lost quite a few over the holidays. I have friends and family who's lives are emptier now, too. My heart goes out to all of you. This collar belonged to a friend's dog (thank you, Juliet). I tried to light it evenly, but you can actually see traces of my easel lamp along with a paler shadow cast from the window. I need to figure out a wa...

"Finnigan's Collar (from the Tags, Toys and Treasures series)," 8" square, still life painting of dog collar with tags, $199 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Having Finn back home has been wonderful. While he remains a little weathered looking, his honest and saucy nature has returned. It has been reassuring to hear him take an interest again in household activities - announcing the arrival of the garbage truck (in case I hadn't already heard it), dashing to the kitchen whenever the fridge gets opened (like he's EVER getting table scraps again!), and whining to go out and play with the neighbor dog when she's come to visit. If it weren't so icy today, I would have indulged in a short game of snow frisbee, but he'll just have to wait for that another day or so. This painting was a bear. I'm not supposed to admit when something is particularly difficult (said tongue in cheek - remember that survey I did l...

“The Purple Collar,” 6x12, acrylic dog collar painting on canvasboard, $200 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This one was really fun. I started out by toning the canvas a very light violet, and then loosely drew in the shape of the collar. By dry brushing and scrubbing at the earliest stages, I was able to get the shape of the shadow painted without any hassles at all. Then it just became a matter of using gradually tightening brushwork to define the webbing of the collar, and the tags themselves. Just because I could, I then dropped in some pure pigment in a couple of places nearest to the tags, in order to create a focal point. There is a nice abstract quality to this painting – just the simple shapes, and some basic color. I think this is one of my favorites based purely on that. I am always accepting donations of dog tags, licenses (expired!), collars, and other ephemera for inclusion in this still life project. Please include a self-addressed, sta...